Sterling Heights Stevenson senior tight end Hans Wisnewski, left, making a touchdown catch in the Titans 50-13 Aug. 30 win over St. Clair Shores Lakeview. Stevenson is 2-0 for the first time since 2015.

Big second half pushes Stevenson football past Lakeview

St. Clair Shores senior running back Dancaille Robinson breaks away for one of his two touchdowns in an Aug. 30 loss to Sterling Heights Stevenson. Robinson rushed for 98 yards in the contest.

Photo by Sean Work

STERLING HEIGHTS — The matchup between Sterling Heights Stevenson and St. Clair Shores Lakeview was tight for the first 24 minutes, with the Titans taking a 14-13 lead into the locker room.

The second half was a different story, as Stevenson blanked Lakeview in the last two quarters on its way to a 50-13 win. The Titans move to 2-0 on the season, while the Huskies fall to 1-1. A victory for either team would have matched last season’s win total.

Stevenson senior quarterback Justin McCown finished with 268 yards passing and three touchdowns. His favorite target on the night was senior wideout Brandon Szymanski, who tallied 122 yards and three scores.

“We’ve got a quarterback who’s on a roll right now and a wide receiver who’s playing phenomenally,” said Titans first-year coach Justin Newcomb. “We’re playing well right now, but we’ve got a heck of a run coming up with Romeo, Dakota and Eisenhower.”

Three straight incompletions led to a quick Stevenson three and out. Lakeview played things a little differently on its first possession, rushing the ball every play. The drive culminated in senior running back Dancaille Robinson out of a loaded backfield taking a handoff up the middle and going 40 yards for a touchdown to put the Huskies up 6-0 1:44 into the game.

The Titans switched things up on their next possession, electing to run the ball on the first 10 plays to the tune of 43 yards and three first downs. Stevenson on the 11th play of the drive let senior quarterback Justin McCown make a play, as he found senior wide receiver Brandon Szymanski in the corner of the end zone for a score to tie the game with 5:45 left in the first quarter. The PAT gave the Titans a 7-6 advantage.

Lakeview on its next drive stuck with what worked. The Huskies on the possession, which lasted 9:26 between the first and second quarter, ran 16 plays — all runs. Robinson again made the big play, going 14 yards up the middle on fourth and 2 for a touchdown to give Lakeview a 13-7 edge with 8:09 left in the half. Robinson finished the half with 98 yards and the two scores.

Stevenson answered back fast on its next possession. The Titans ended a four-play drive with a pass from McCown to senior tight end Hans Wisnewski on a fade route for a touchdown to go up 14-13 with 7:09 remaining in the second quarter. McCown on the drive went 3-for-3 passing for 38 yards, along with rushing for 15 yards.

After forcing a Lakeview punt on the first possession of the second half, Stevenson added to its lead, as McCown on third and 7 found Szymanski on a post route for a 22-yard touchdown to put the Titans up 21-13 with 6:35 to play in the third.

The Stevenson defense forced another short Lakeview drive to give the Titans the ball back with 4:15 left in the third quarter. Stevenson, which started at its own 49-yard line, marched right down the field, as McCown for the second straight possession found Szymanski for a 22-yard touchdown — this time after a tipped pass — to give the Titans a 27-13 lead with 2:31 left in the frame.

Stevenson added to its lead early in the fourth, as junior running back Nick Wingfield scored on a 1-yard plunge to put the Titans up 34-13 with 11:40 left in regulation. The big play of the drive came when McCown found Wisnewski for a 47-yard pass and catch on first and 10 to set up the score.

Three plays after his rushing touchdown, Wingfield, playing defensive back, made another big play, picking off a pass and going 47 yards for a touchdown to put the Titans up 41-13 with 10:47 left in regulation.

Stevenson senior wide receiver Luke Miramonti got in on the action with a 3-yard rushing touchdown with 4:58 left to give the Titans a 48-13 advantage. The Stevenson defense would force a safety with 2:45 left to go up 50-13.

Newcomb said his team early on was on a high after last week’s win over Temperance Bedford. The Stevenson coach said his team in the second half focused on winning individual matchups.

Lakeview in the second half managed less than 30 yards of offense. Huskies coach Pat Threet called it a numbers game.

“My guys fought their tails off tonight,” Threet said. “But Stevenson is a school with 2,800 kids. We have 1,400 kids. In a four-quarter game, that catches up to you. We’ve got some guys who are banged up. The drop off from one to two for us is steeper than it is for (Stevenson).

“We have 10 Division 1 teams in Macomb County. They should be playing each other. We have 12 Division 2 teams in Macomb County. We should be playing each other. Credit Stevenson. They’re first class, but these games shouldn’t be played.”